Tuesday, 27 June 2017

Rihanna tweets world leaders and Justin Trudeau is the latest to respond


She's a global pop icon, they are G20 leaders. So what happened when Rihanna tweeted some of the world's most powerful men to talk about their commitment to education in the developing world?
Well, some of them responded and their exchanges are there for us all to see on social media.
It started earlier this week when the singer and fashion icon, who has 74 million followers on Twitter, publicly messaged the leaders of France, Argentina and Canada, plus the spokesperson for Germany's Angela Merkel.
In January, Rihanna travelled to Malawi meeting children at under resourced schools in an initiative with Global Citizen and the Global Partnership for Education, for whom she is an ambassador. The two organisations aim to help fund the teaching of millions of children and young people in developing countries.
Given her superstar status and her previous work with her own charity, the Clara Lionel Foundation, Rihanna urged G20 leaders to discuss the subject when they meet in Hamburg in July.
Credit: BBC

The Queen gets a £82.2 million pay rise


The Queen is to receive an 8% increase in income from public funds, after the Crown Estate's profits rose by £24m.
The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the salaries of her household, official travel and upkeep of palaces, is to increase by more than £6m in 2018/19.
It comes as accounts revealed the Queen's official net expenditure last year increased by £2m, to almost £42m.
Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said the Queen represented "excellent value for money".
  • 2015 - How rich is the Queen?
He said: "When you look at these accounts, the bottom line is the Sovereign Grant last year equated to 65p per person, per annum, in the United Kingdom.
"That's the price of a first class stamp.
"Consider that against what the Queen does and represents for this country, I believe it represents excellent value for money."

The Queen and the Royal Family's official travel cost the taxpayer £4.5m during 2016/17, up £500,000.
Clarence House has also released its annual accounts, which showed the Prince of Wales' annual income from his hereditary estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, increased by 1.2% - to £20.7m.

Royal accounts - some key figures

  • £82.2m - Amount the Queen is expected to get from the Sovereign Grant in 2018/19
  • £4.5m - Cost of the Queen and the Royal Family's official travel in 2016/17
  • £288,697 - Amount spent on the Royal Train travel for 14 trips
  • £1.2m - Cost of replacing doors on the orangery at Windsor Castle
  • £154,000 - Estimated cost of Prince Charles and Camilla using "Cam Force One" - the official government plane - to visit Italy, Romania and Austria earlier this year
The Sovereign Grant, which is paid two years in arrears, is money given to the Queen by the Treasury.
It is based on the profits of the Crown Estate portfolio, which includes much of London's West End.
The Crown Estate posted a £24.7m rise in profits, to £328.8m, in 2016/17.
Credit:  BBC

Monday, 26 June 2017

WWE Raw: Lesnar is set to make a rare Raw appearance for June 26


Monday's WWE Raw will have no shortage of rage as the red brand looks to hype Great Balls of Fire.
An incensed Brock Lesnar will charge into Los Angeles with visions of grinding Samoa Joe between his teeth. Joe choked out Lesnar's manager, Paul Heyman, making their July 9 match about far more than the Universal Championship in The Beast Incarnate's possession.
Lesnar is set to make a rare Raw appearance. And Joe knows full well what kind of rampage he's capable of.
The Staples Center will also welcome two former members of The Golden Truth who are now out to hurt each other, the aftermath of The Realest Guys in the Room's implosion and the latest chapter in the Roman Reigns-Braun Strowman vicious saga. What else is on the docket? Will a special guest from the NBA world show up?
Backstage news and the Raw preview on WWE.com help provide the answers as we preview Monday's Raw before it airs at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network